The Cage Is Not An Option
by Giacinta2
Summary: Dean has a disturbing nightmare about Sam's conversation in the Impala, that he might find answers in the Cage. But he's not going to let his baby brother attempt anything of the sort! Lucifer's words may be a little strong. Trigger warning. Rated M just in case. One-shot. Tag to episode 11.07. gen.


"You'll never see your brother again, Dean," the unctuous voice hissed making Dean's skin crawl. "Sam's mine, he's always been mine, more so now that I've possessed him, tasted him, owned him.  
But just to prove even Satan has a heart, I'll allow you one last dewy-eyed good-bye before I take him back and leave you on your lonesome for all eternity.  
Don't worry though for I'll care for Sammy better than you ever have. If nothing else, I'll never lie to him."

:

The ravaged face leaned forward as if to whisper a secret in Dean's ear, the smell of sulphur making him gag, but he stood his ground, he wouldn't give the fucker the satisfaction of jerking away.

"Your brother is made to be dominated, you know.  
Oh he made a bit of a fuss at the start but he came to enjoy it in the end. Too bad you didn't take advantage of that sweet exhilaration. But, " Lucifer continued, "it's too late now, Deano. He'll soon be back in my welcoming arms and there's not a thing you can to about it.  
Don't feel too bad though, he was tailor-made for me, my human alter-ego if you will, and when we join together, it's well.. poetry.

Has he told you about his visions, huh? Where he's all chained up, his tanned skin yearning for my hands to glide over it. You could never understand Dean. You only want him to be happy, but your little brother needs pain as much as pleasure, and with me he gets it.  
Enjoy your remaining time with sweet little Sammy, for soon he'll come running back to me voluntarily."

:

"You fucker, You'll never have Sam. I'll make sure of it." Dean yelled as the grinning image of Nick's peeling meat suit faded away to be replaced buy two firm hands gripping his shoulders and a familiar voice calling to him.  
"Dean..Dean.. Wake up, man. You're having a nightmare."

:

Dean's eyes slowly opened to focus on his brother's worried face staring down at him.

"Sammy...Whaa..?"

"A nightmare, Dean. That's all it is."  
Sam squeezed his brother's shoulder in empathy. Nightmares were his speciality and he understood just how much they could scare the living daylights out of you.

He removed his hands when Dean pulled himself up into a sitting position, noting the sweat drenching his big brother's thin tee-shirt and the hair pasted damply to his forehead.

:

"You were yelling like a banshee, " Sam quipped, trying to defuse Dean's evident disorientation. "I thought I had the exclusive on nightmares, man, but maybe you're just a late starter.

:

Dean passed a shaky hand over his face and head, the nightmare was still so real, the image and words of Lucifer echoing through him.

"Must have been pretty raw, " Sam said, studying his brother. "I can't ever remember you freaking out like this before."

It was true. Dean wasn't prone to nightmares, even if he had more than sufficient material to draw on.  
Just like John had taught him, he simply shoved all the crap down into the depths of his soul and shut it out of his mind. So yeah, a nightmare was an exception.  
And in this case, it hadn't been provoked by anything in his past. This was all about Dean's greatest fear...that of losing his baby brother.

:

"Sam, you know those visions you've been having? You said they were of the Cage, right?"  
Sam nodded.  
"But what exactly did you see? " Dean asked hesitantly, not sure how to formulate the question. "You've never really told me about ...what went on there."

Sam turned his face away, unwilling to elaborate. "Do I really have to paint a picture, Dean? You've had first-hand experience of what goes on in Hell, the Cage is just another version of it."

Dean knew all right, but imagining those same tortures inflicted on Sam was hard to stomach.

:

Since Death had reunited Sam's soul with his body, Dean had glossed over the whole affair, scared to enquire into Sam's time there. Afraid of what Sam would tell him, of the terrible guilt he knew he'd feel at having gone against his big brother vibes and allowed Sam to take that jump into the Cage.  
He should have found another way, never have let Sam suffer like that.

It wasn't as if he wanted to dwell on those memories but the nightmare had left him terrified.  
Lucifer's absolute certainty that he'd get Sam back, and this time for all eternity, had scared him to death.

:

"What was your nightmare about?" Sam asked, though he already suspected the subject matter.

Going by Dean's emphatic denial earlier that evening in the Impala when Sam had suggested the answers to defeating the Darkness might be found in the Cage, and that he might have to go back there, the idea had upset his big brother.  
So Sam mused, the odds were stacked that Dean had been freaking out about it.

"You're the smart one, " Dean replied. " I bet you can figure it out."

"Dean, come on! You're the one who keeps saying it's not God who's sending me these visions, so maybe it's Lucifer or even Michael. They were there when God put Amara away, so it's a good bet they have some answers."

:

Dean shoved back the covers, got up and started pacing the room.  
"You're not going back in there Sam and that's final. The last time it was your call and though every fibre of my being raged against it, I didn't stop you, but I'm not going through that again and neither are you."

"If I do go in, …...and I'm not saying I will, " Sam added, at his big brother's pissed expression, "we'll do it with all the safeguards possible. In and out, just like the time I went into hell to get Bobby."

"No way Sam! This is different. Lucifer's just waiting to get his hands on you again and I'm not going to let him. If it ends up that the only way to defeat the Darkness means passing through the Cage, then I'M gonna be the one who goes, not you!"

"What..no, Dean. I'm not gonna let you do that," Sam stated. "I know my way around. It would be easier for me."

:

At his brother's words Dean took a step forward and grasped Sam's arms tight.  
"You're not going back to that bastard. He's not getting his hands on you ever again. You hear me. I want to shove Amara back into whatever hole she crawled out of, but not at the expense of losing you. Never that!"

"Dean just what went on in that nightmare to make you tense up like this?"

:

Dean moistened his lips before speaking.  
"Lucifer told me that once he got you back, he was going to hang on to you for all eternity. That he'd never let you leave. He said ….well.. that you enjoyed..his 'attentions'... That 'pleasure and pain' were waiting for you."

Sam averted his eyes but not before Dean glimpsed the moisture welling up in them.  
"Since when do you believe what some fugly tells you in a dream? Yeah, I was at Lucifer's mercy. I couldn't stop him from doing whatever he wanted to me, and maybe my body responded to some of the things he did, if that's what this is about, but every 'lighter' moment was followed by a tsunami of torture."

:

Dean pulled his little brother into a hug. "God, I'm sorry, Sammy. The nightmare...Lucifer's taunting...it seemed so real...and I couldn't survive losing you again There's no way I'd stick around on my own."

"I'm scared too Dean, but I promise if there's any way of getting though this without having to go near the Cage, we'll do it, whatever it entails."

:

Dean gave Sam one last squeeze before drawing back.  
He was glad they'd cleared the air. His nightmare was receding too, Lucifer's ugly-ass face fading from his retinas.  
Whatever happened, losing Sam wasn't up for debate.

He'd already killed Death, so he reckoned he could take on just about anyone.  
Looking out for Sam made even the impossible possible!

:  
The end


End file.
